PERSPECTIVES: Artist Talks with Lavender Studios

Meet watercolor artist and pet portrait enthusiast Shyla Craig. We ran into Shyla at Kansas City's Folk Fest earlier this year and she had a booth set up to showcase her pet portraits and as the art and pet lovers that we are we had to inquire about her passion. We are so glad we did. What an amazing dedication to their craft in a medium that brings in color and story to represent emotion and pers...

Meet textile artist and educator Sherry Whetstone. Sherry stopped by the studio to share her story and her passion for sewing, thrift stores and repurposing odds and ends. Sherry found art later in life and has fallen in love with showing others how capable they are at creating personal pieces of art and building confidence in their skill sets as artists. You can find Sherry's Kawandi quilts and o...

Meet poet, comic and storyteller Abby Bland. We met Abby at a house party open mic a few years back and again at a Fringe Fest preview event showcasing their upcoming project, American Raccoon. We absolutely were floored with their writing style and the poetic delivery. Smart, sarcastic, dry yet witty, and with a depth of a life lived with pain and beauty. We can't wait to see what they have in st...

The alternative pop/rock duo WHATEVERAMOON stopped by the studio to share their story and new songs for their upcoming album coming out in January of '27. Catie and CJ recently quit their retail jobs, moved out of their apartment and got into an RV to live, travel and record their music in. Originally from Wichita they now call Kansas City home and we couldn't be happier. Check out their music at...

Our witchy friends Linda and Adalena from The Witchworks KC stopped by the studio to share the meaning behind some of their rituals, potions, and spells and to dispel historic witchcraft rumors and heresy. Linda works in healthcare and is able to see restoration through nature and spellcrafting while Adalena works with tarot and earthly elements to seek answers and meaning. You can visit their onl...

Singer, Songwriter, Banjoist and artist, Bailey Walton and musical phenom Les Izmore stopped by the studio to share some original songs as well as a few tributes to African folk artists from yesteryear. You can catch Bailey and Les most Monday nights at the Rural Grit open mic at The Brick in downtown KC. Bailey's Instagram Click here Les' Instagram Click here

Meet Adriana Nikole, a Michigan-born singer-songwriter who now calls Kansas City home. Blending ’90s country and pop with a modern twist. Adriana explores feminism, love, loss, and desire through honest, heartfelt songwriting. Daring to dream and pushing creative boundaries, she transforms her emotions and experiences into music that connects with listeners. She also runs a dog grooming business o...

Lou Grande stopped by the studio to share his art, experience growing up in the church, and life as a trans-masculine man living in southern Kansas. Lou specializes in acrylics but also is dabbling with stained glass! You can see more of Lou's work and submit for commision pieces on his website at the link below. From the artist: Lou Grande is a contemporary trans-masculine painter based in Wichit...

Meet Jared Horman, Kansas City's favorite muralist, graphic designer and artist. From designing murals dedicated to drag queens from the last 100 years in KC, to giving a red headed salute to the midwest princess Chappell Roan. Jared's impact can be felt across the metro. If you've driven downtown we promise that you have seen his work. Check out his website below to see more of his amazing portfo...

Let us put you on to Nirvana Hope. Nirvana is a singer-songwriter who blends emotional original music with beloved ’90s classics. Growing up in a musical family she became a guitarist at 8 years old and a performer since her teens, her debut release, Unstuck , explores self-discovery, questioning societal expectations, and breaking free from the mold of adulthood to discover who you truly are. We...

Meet KC local poet and wordsmith, Taboo AKA Kourtney Cunningham. Taboo stopped by the studio to share her poems, her trials and tribulations and her fortitude in the face of adversity. TRIGGER WARNING, In this artist talk, Taboo speaks on growing up with Sickle Cell Anemia, Moyamoya (a rare brain disease,) having a stroke, a miscarriage, sexual assault, childhood trauma, drug addiction and the out...

We had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with the busiest woman in Kansas City, the award-winning KE Griffin. We met KE 4 years ago at Englewood Arts in Independence MO, where she was an artist in residence. Since that time, Russ has been a technical producer for KE by helping with lighting and sound designs for her historical re-enactments. KE is a powerhouse in the KC arts scene working non-...

The incredible Hadiza. stopped by the studio to share their passion and their work for liberation and resistance via songs and storytelling. Joining Hadiza. are Madison Monroe on bass guitar and Christina Silvius on viola. This was an inspiring set that brought attention to the genocides, the wars, and the atrocities around the globe via diaspora gothic! Art is the message. Art is the communicator...

Meet the amazingly creative and delightful Kathrine Bridges, AKA Kay is Evil! Kay started out as a dichotomy of cute and evil and stuck with it. As her art and imagination continue to grow she uses advanced techniques in digital illustration as well as sculpture to capture fantastical whimsy and dread. Check out her online store and see all the unique and terrifying designs. Kay's Website Click he...

Meet H. Thrasher, chronic doodler, comic creator and stream of consciousness turned into human skin. Thrasher has developed a love of printmaking into a lifestyle. Through woodcuts, linocuts and pen to paper, she is creating an art studio to draw out those inside thoughts into an outside reality! Thrasher's Instagram Click here KC Art Club Click here

Meet Mead D'Amore, local KC singer, songwriter, actor and lover of love. Mead stopped by the studio to share his songs and how his relationships shaped who he is a songwriter and how he shows up in the world. From the ashes of rejection to the confidence of true love, Mead has ridden the roller coaster of life and has concluded that all we need is love, and we couldn't agree more! You can follow M...

Kansas City based artist Lula Renee Edwards Smith explores a multitude of mediums surrounding concepts of memory and home. During their time studying at the Kansas City Art Institute, Smith had developed passion for clay, fiber, and community teachings. Capturing memory through material became of interest to Lula and developed quickly through different means. Gravitating towards processes that req...

Jack Summers is a songwriter from Weston, Missouri. He splits his time between the road and working as a teacher’s assistant in an elementary special education classroom. His live performances pair award-winning songs with stories about his classroom, his life, and his ongoing existential crisis. He’s also been known to open a few packs of baseball cards on stage. Inspired by songwriters like John...

All Is Bright is a teaser script written by our recent guest, Playwright Ashley Nicole Audette. In this sneak peak we get a glimpse into the lives of two brothers who are struggling with the loss of a sibling as well as finding their purpose as they process their grief or avoid it as much as possible. In this clip are actors Jake Funke and Dustin Reckling.

Meet the New York born and Missouri-based playwright who crafts stories that capture the beauty and complexities of the human experience while captivating audiences from all walks of life, Ashley Nicole Audette. Ashley Nicole Audette: (Playwright) is a New York-born, Missouri based playwright. Latest productions include pink champagne (Script in Hand Winner - The Writer’s Place KC), Home Town (KC...

Meet Julie Bennett – Hume, Local singer/songwriter/multi instrumentalists/and German language aficionado. Watch as she brings her love of language and culture into her songwriting going from Delta blues to Cajun tavern crooning to east European smack talking cabaret. Julie shared her love for taking music back to its roots and for a penchant of leading men to their demise. Julie is also the execut...

Welcome to the world of Terran Rae Smith; singer, songwriter, actor, fitness enthusiast and social media influencer poised to take the music scene by storm. Terran Rae has a lot to say and a lot of energy to say it. Her music while upbeat and danceable tells a story of heartbreak, loss and struggling to find meaning in all the chaos. In this session, she showcases her electric/pop roots from her b...

Meet Wolfe Brack; artist, painter, sculptor, and avid people watcher. Wolfe make insanely detailed ecosystems that lure in your eyes and delight with complexity and curiosity. Whether its painting city scapes at the micro level or zooming way out and creating unique and amazing ecumenopolises (a planet made of a single continuous city) Wolfe really does try to entertain the brain. If you would lik...

Step into the world of illustrator, painter, and digital fan artist Ken Crane. Ken stopped by the studio to share their thoughts on AI, video games, anime lore, selling art at conventions and their favorite ships (relationships). If you would like to follow Ken along on their amazing art journey, click the links below to their Instagram and Linktree. Ken's Instagram Click here Ken's LinkTree Click...

Singer, songwriter and author Brian Gerald Bulger stopped by the studio to share his songs and his stories of growing up as one of ten children in an evangelical home in Missouri to losing two siblings at young ages, Brian has had a pretty rough go at life and he shares that experience in a very honest and sincere way through bucolic storytelling and inviting melodies. If you would like to learn m...